Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 1 · verse 2382 of the four thousand
Meaning
Narayana created Naanmukan, the four-faced Brahma; and Naanmukan, in his turn, created Sankara. Speaking in my own person, I have set out this deep truth in the linked verses of an andadi. Examine it well, all of you, and hold it fast without letting any of it slip away.
Word by word
- nāṉmukaṉai
- Naanmukan, the four-faced Brahma
- nārāyaṇaṉ paṭaittāṉ
- Narayana created
- caṅkaraṉait
- Sankara, Shiva
- antāti
- andadi, verses where each ending begins the next
- āḻ poruḷai
- the deep truth
- cintāmal koḷmiṉ
- hold it without spilling any
- tērntu
- having examined it
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 2 · verse 2383 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the wise examine it, they declare that God is One. Yet no one fully knows His greatness. And this is the whole end of every truth one may ponder: whatever penance anyone performs, the grace they finally receive rests with Him who holds the discus.
Word by word
- tēruṅkāl
- when one examines
- tēvaṉ oruvaṉē
- God is One alone
- ārum aṟiyār
- no one knows
- poruḷ muṭivum ittaṉaiyē
- the final conclusion is just this
- et tavam ceytārkkum
- for those who do any penance whatever
- āḻiyāṉpāl
- with Him who holds the discus
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 3 · verse 2384 of the four thousand
Meaning
He who lies on the ocean of milk, He who of old made Srirangam His home, He who slept on a banyan leaf: who can know Him? He is the one Being of the world, the true essence of the gods, the rare Being who rests upon the waters. Who can know the way in which I have come to know Him?
Word by word
- pālil kiṭantatuvum
- His lying on the milk ocean
- araṅkam mēyatuvum
- His dwelling at Srirangam
- ālil tuyiṉṟatuvum
- His sleeping on the banyan leaf
- vāṉavar tam meyp poruḷai
- the true essence of the celestials
- appil
- in the waters
- yāṉ aṟinta āṟu
- the way I came to know Him
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 4 · verse 2385 of the four thousand
Meaning
He who hid the river in his matted hair has a share in the King of the gods: is that something to hold up as doctrine? I have gathered together and sung of Him who stands with no second beside Him, my Lord, the One whom every word and every thing finally names.
Word by word
- āṟu caṭaik karantāṉ
- he who hid the river in his matted hair, Shiva
- aṇṭarkōṉ
- King of the gods
- kūṟu uṭaiyaṉ
- has a share, a part
- koḷkaittē
- is that a doctrine to hold?
- vēṟu oruvar illāmai
- with no other beside Him
- ep poruṭkum collāṉaic
- the One named by every word
- tokuttu
- gathering together
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 5 · verse 2386 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Mal, whose curved claws tore open the chest of him who had gathered boons and never knew defeat! Long ago, in one age, You brought the worlds forth and then took them back within You; and You Yourself became the rare four. Know this.
Word by word
- tokutta varattaṉāyt
- he who had gathered many boons, Hiranya
- tōlātāṉ
- who never lost
- vakirtta vaḷai ukir
- curved claws that split
- mālē
- O Mal, the Lord
- uyartti uḷvāṅki
- raising them up and taking them within
- aru nāṉkum āṉāy
- You became the rare four
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 6 · verse 2387 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Jains do not know; the Buddhists are confused; and, to speak plainly, those who follow Shiva are small in understanding. Those who do not praise Him who is fragrant, the Wondrous One, Malavan, Madhavan, are the low ones. That is why, today, I declare it.
Word by word
- aṟiyār camaṇar
- the Jains do not know
- ayarttār pavuttar
- the Buddhists are bewildered
- civappaṭṭār
- those devoted to Shiva
- veṟiyāya
- fragrant
- māyavaṉai mālavaṉai mātavaṉai
- the Wondrous One, Mal, Madhava
- īṉavarē
- are the low ones
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 7 · verse 2388 of the four thousand
Meaning
Let it be today, let it be tomorrow, let it be a little while after: Your grace is surely turned towards me. Know this well, Narayana: I do not exist without You, and You do not exist without me.
Word by word
- iṉṟu āka nāḷaiyē āka
- be it today, be it tomorrow
- niṉ aruḷ
- Your grace
- eṉpālatē
- is surely towards me
- nāṉ uṉṉai aṉṟi ilēṉ
- I am not, without You
- nāraṇaṉē
- O Narayana
- nī eṉṉai aṉṟi ilai
- You are not, without me
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 8 · verse 2389 of the four thousand
Meaning
O my heart, there is no other help for us. Our needs will turn to none but the red-eyed Mal who holds the bow that overcame Isa; to none but Him of the sharp arrows, who ruined the strength of Lanka, city of the ten-headed one whose heads hung like clusters.
Word by word
- ilai tuṇai maṟṟu
- there is no other help
- īcaṉai veṉṟa cilai
- the bow that overcame Isa, Shiva
- ceṅkaṇ māl
- red-eyed Mal
- kulai koṇṭa
- hanging like clusters
- īr aintalaiyāṉ
- the ten-headed one, Ravana
- kūr ampaṉ
- He of the sharp arrows, Rama
- kuṟai
- our need, our want
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 9 · verse 2390 of the four thousand
Meaning
There, seeking his own good, Naanmukan poured water from his water-pot and, praising with mantras taken from the Vedas, washed the red feet of the Lord who spans the universe; and that water flowed down onto the head of the one with the stained throat.
Word by word
- kuṟaikoṇṭu
- seeking his own good
- kuṇṭikai nīr
- water from his water-pot
- maṟaikoṇṭa mantirattāl
- with mantras from the Vedas
- kaṟaikoṇṭa kaṇṭattāṉ
- the one with the stained throat, Shiva
- ceṉṉimēl ēṟak
- so that it rose onto his head
- aṇṭattāṉ cēvaṭiyai
- the red feet of the Lord of the universe
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 10 · verse 2391 of the four thousand
Meaning
There, hearing the clamour, the lovely dark serpent breathes out fire; and on that serpent bed lies the Lord. Can we see His golden form, or can we not? Can the One on the great flower and the one with long matted hair praise Him, or can they not?
Word by word
- āravāram
- clamour, uproar
- aḻal umiḻum
- breathing out fire
- pūṅ kār aravu aṇaiyāṉ
- He on the lovely dark serpent bed
- poṉ mēṉi
- golden form
- mā malarāṉ
- the one on the great lotus, Brahma
- vār caṭaiyāṉ
- the one with long matted hair, Shiva
Verse text: the word-separated e-text of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Project Madurai, checked verse by verse against its second edition. Meanings are simple renderings in the light of the acharyas' commentaries, written for this site, and are awaiting a scholar's review.